Monday, August 1, 2011

OK, so it has been a long time since I blogged. I know, it seems rather lazy or inconstant of me, but I do have excuses, really!
Excuse #1:
Our new grand daughter and her big sister:

I spent almost a month helping Mom and Dad and big sister getting settled into this new bigger family life.

Excuse # 2: Also, the house in San Antonio is now ready to sell. After months of commuting from there to here, 410 miles one way - ouch!!!, we finally have the house listed to sell. It was a real wrench making the decision to sell it, but we can't go on making two house payments!

Finally it is covering expenses and people seem to like the fiber. I really enjoy the whole process of blending and selling fiber, so think that this is a long term endeavor.

New additions to the shop are based on the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. My favorite is Severus Snape. He is not quite a hero and not quite a villain and extremely devoted to his lost love - what more could you ask of a romantic figure?

Coming soon in the shop? As a member of the Phatfiber community I am contributing for August: Bollywood inspired batts with tons of color and sparkle, as well as batts based on the luscious colors of summer fruits. Stay tuned!

Friday, February 4, 2011

At least that is Snip's idea about the winter weather here in the DFW area! He is barely six pounds and the six inches of snow we got last night come up to his side.

I carefully cleared off an area for him and Toby to go "do their business" in. They just as carefully ignored it and plowed into the deep snow to find the perfect spot. Go figure!!! When he came in, Snip found a warm spot and doesn't look like he is going to move for the rest of the day:

The snow is beautiful, but covers a really treacherous two inch thick layer of ice. We are staying inside for the duration. Good thing there is knitting and old movies on TV! I finished the mitts for Kirsten. The Cascade Cloud 9 yarn is really yummy to work with and should be extremely warm. I just wish I had some way to get them to her so she could be wearing them this weekend! The color matches her eyes exactly!

There are two hats waiting to be done for her friends, but I didn't bring the right size needles for them, so I am working on:
Saartje's Bootees for Angelika (Fleegle's version worked in the round)

And the dress for Sophie's new baby sister (coming in June!):
The yarn is a hand-dyed fingering weight from HuggyBearKnits.Etsy.com in the colorway Rose Garden, soft pinks and greens and really nicely blended. The pattern is Clara by Karin Vestergaard Mathiesen It looks a lot harder than it really is and is working up nicely. I just hope I have enough yarn!

So, I have plenty to do. Sit by the fire, knit, drink hot tea, and enjoy this time with my parents. I'll be back to blending fiber soon, but in the meantime we are watching the cardinals and staying warm.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Because the state business license came! So the shop is open (linky to the right!) and my fun-with-fiber is officially a business! It is very exciting and scary at the same time. Thank goodness for the Phatfiber community www.phatfiber.com and fellow Ravelers (www.Ravelry.com)who are all very supportive! And of, course, my DH who regards this whole fiber thing as insanity, but harmless insanity!

So there is awesome fiber in the shop. And this week I have attacked the fiber that has been languishing on my wheel and spindles forever.
First, Chocolate Mint alpaca/bamboo (from www.FiberLady.com) two-ply:

Then, Roses in the Snow BFL from Enchanted Knoll Farms. I N-plied this to keep the beautiful colors changes and avoid striping:

Last, but not least, three of the samples I submitted for the February Phatfiber box in jewel colors - my favorite colors! A couple of full-size sets of fiber will be in the shop in a couple of weeks.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

where I've always wanted to go! This is the inauguration post for Heavenly Fiber, my new enterprise. Since our move and the closing of the contract under which I worked as a simulator operator for the Air Force Navigation Training Squadron, I have been at home full time. This is a real novelty for me. I have had very little solo time at home and the ability to do exactly what I want is both strange and welcome! So, now I am working with fiber and learning as I go.

As the proud owner of a spinning wheel (Queen Mab, a Kromski Sonata) I have been exploring the types of fibers I like to spin. I've found that the preparation of the fiber is extremely important, as is the color selection. After spending several months playing with dyeing, blending and spinning fibers, I decided to start my own shop to expand my fiber explorations. Since there is no way to spin all the fiber myself, I will be playing and creating and then selling the goodies on Etsy.

Soooo...Heavenly Fiber is born..of a desire to play with fiber and still be able to live in our house. (Although fiber is a great insulator, we do have to be able to move from room to room... and there is a limit to my husband's patience!)

First offerings in the shop:

Ron's First Spell: Sunshine daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid fat rat yellow! Of course it didn't work, but it makes a bright sunny set of fiber nests! Bright yellow and gray Merino, firestar, Blue Face Leicester, and a tiny bit of bamboo.

We Don't Know: There is to be a new baby in the family this summer. But Mom and Dad aren't sharing with anyone whether the baby is a boy or a girl! So this colorway is a blend of blue, pink and gray for the ultrasound that lets them, but not us, know! Merino, bamboo, and firestar.

Sophie's Rainbow: Sophie is two and a half years old. Although she knows all the colors of the rainbow by name, there are only a few that she considers worthy of identification every time she is asked. So this colorway consists of the colors Sophie thinks are the most worthy of notice - purple and pink - with a few other colors peeking through! Merino and firestar with bamboo and silk for sheen.

For now, the shop is on vacation but it will open as soon as possible. Meanwhile enjoy the eye-candy!

About Me

I am a life-long knitter and crocheter who took up spinning on a drop spindle to learn more about yarn. That led to a spinning wheel and more adventures in fiber, which led in turn to learning to blend my own fiber. Now, I want to share my love of fiber with others, soooo,
I am taking a leap of faith and giving you HeavenlyFiber!